Osaka International Airport , often referred to as Itami Airport , is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, 36 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of Kyoto Station. Itami Airport has a small footprint, covering only 311 hectares of land.